[Goose]

I don't think we need to create hypotheticals- it's not easy to ramp up ammunition production quickly. A new factory was just opened producing 30k shells/months, almost doubling US production. We will soon be producing 10 times more than we were a few years ago.

I was aware of the "new" factory. However I haven't seen anything about the 10 times more. If you have a link, I would like to read it. AFAIK the 60K by next summer cited in the article by TrumpCard is the current estimate of the increase in production anticipated. If that isn't the case I am sure we all would like to know what is being done and how many rounds the Army expects to produce year over year.

Maybe it's too little, too late. Maybe it's ramping up as fast as possible given the funding and logistical constraints. I doubt Joe Biden can unilaterally make any decisions that would drastically increase our shell production. Congress waiting months to pass more aid didn't help matters.

The last sentence is indisputably correct. However, the president (through the Secretary of defense) has considerable power to re-program military spending. It is done all the time. Congress can indeed intervene and stop that kind of action, but given the situation in the Senate it seems unlikely that would happen. Instead of buying the programmed number of some item, like say the new light tank, the military can buy 155 mm instead. They will "defer" the acquisition of some item. The Joint Chiefs can come out with a position saying that militarily believes this is "essential" for the defense of the US. It can be done, but it would possibly ruffle some feathers. Most manufacturing logistics constraints respond quite well to treatment by dollars. We certainly did that buying IED jammers for Iraq. We still have them coming out of our ears. I am certain we can do more with 155 mm than we are. There is always the possibility there is some good reasons we aren't doing "more". I am not aware of any however.

[Goose]

I don't think we need to create hypotheticals- it's not easy to ramp up ammunition production quickly. A new factory was just opened producing 30k shells/months, almost doubling US production. We will soon be producing 10 times more than we were a few years ago.

I was aware of the "new" factory. However I haven't seen anything about the 10 times more. If you have a link, I would like to read it. AFAIK the 60K by next summer cited in the article by TrumpCard is the current estimate of the increase in production anticipated. If that isn't the case I am sure we all would like to know what is being done and how many rounds the Army expects to produce year over year.

Maybe it's too little, too late. Maybe it's ramping up as fast as possible given the funding and logistical constraints. I doubt Joe Biden can unilaterally make any decisions that would drastically increase our shell production. Congress waiting months to pass more aid didn't help matters.

The last sentence is indisputably correct. However, the president (through the Secretary of defense) has considerable power to re-program military spending. It is done all the time. Congress can indeed intervene and stop that kind of action, but given the situation in the Senate it seems unlikely that would happen. Instead of buying the programmed number of some item, like say the new light tank, the military can buy 155 mm instead. They will "defer" the acquisition of some item. The Joint Chiefs can come out with a position saying that militarily believes this is "essential" for the defense of the US. It can be done, but it would possibly ruffle some feathers. Most manufacturing logistics constraints respond quite well to treatment by dollars. We certainly did that buying IED jammers for Iraq. We still have them coming out of our ears. I am certain we can do more with 155 mm than we are. There is always the possibility there is some good reasons we aren't doing "more". I am not aware of any however.